CBS And Nielsen Collaborate To Advance Dynamic Ad Insertion In Live Broadcasts

(May 14, 2018)

NEW YORK, May 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CBS and Nielsen announced today that they are working on a collaboration that will deliver Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI) in live linear national broadcast television, helping to actualize and progress addressable advertising. Powered by Nielsen Gracenote ACR (Automatic Content Recognition), the solution will use frame-accurate video recognition technology for precise ad detection and content insertion in live TV.

The collaboration is the next step for CBS, who led the marketplace in delivery of addressable advertising to millions of users across CBS Interactive's portfolio of digital properties including OTT brands; CBSN, the 24/7 digital news network, CBS Sports HQ, the 24-hour streaming sports news network; and CBS All Access, CBS' digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service.

"CBS has been at the forefront of using Nielsen data and measurement to prove the value of television, and now we are working on taking the next step with Nielsen to go beyond age and gender by bringing targeted dynamic ad insertion to national live TV inventory," said Jo Ann Ross, President and Chief Advertising Revenue Officer, CBS Corporation. "This will create a more relevant ad experience for our viewers and better outcomes for our clients."

Gracenote ACR is integrated into millions of smart TVs from major manufacturers, and uses anonymized information from smart TVs with advanced personalization features. By leveraging Gracenote ACR products, along with Nielsen's industry-leading solutions, CBS and Nielsen will be able to make the idea of delivering a complete DAI platform into a reality. This will give CBS an ability to offer impressions segmented by behavioral attributes, beyond age and gender, within a live national television program to advertisers, allowing them to reach the appropriate segments of households with the most relevant ad creative.

"As TV becomes more digitally delivered, Nielsen is on the forefront of innovation in bringing our clients unique capabilities that will continue to drive the value of advertising on television," said Peter Bradbury, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, National Client Solutions, Nielsen. "Nielsen, through its acquisition of Gracenote, will leverage patented technology to replace linear ad spots on individual Smart TV sets to offer more advanced advertising capabilities to brands."

Ross continued: "Advertisers want to reach a precise audience, viewers want relevant advertising, and CBS wants to make the best use of every ad impression. This initiative will deliver for everyone – a true win-win-win."

About CBS Corporation: CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and CBS) is a mass media company that creates and distributes industry-leading content across a variety of platforms to audiences around the world. The Company has businesses with origins that date back to the dawn of the broadcasting age as well as new ventures that operate on the leading edge of media. CBS owns the most-watched television network in the U.S. and one of the world's largest libraries of entertainment content, making its brand — "the Eye" — one of the most-recognized in business. The Company's operations span virtually every field of media and entertainment, including cable, publishing, local TV, film, and interactive and socially responsible media. CBS' businesses include CBS Television Network, The CW (a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment), Network Ten Australia, CBS Television Studios, CBS Studios International, CBS Television Distribution, CBS Consumer Products, CBS Home Entertainment, CBS Interactive, CBS Films, Showtime Networks, CBS Sports Network, Pop (a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Lionsgate), Smithsonian Networks, Simon & Schuster, CBS Television Stations, and CBS EcoMedia. For more information, go to www.cbscorporation.com.

About Nielsen: Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE: NLSN) is a global measurement and data analytics company that provides the most complete and trusted view available of consumers and markets worldwide. Our approach marries proprietary Nielsen data with other data sources to help clients around the world understand what's happening now, what's happening next, and how to best act on this knowledge. For more than 90 years Nielsen has provided data and analytics based on scientific rigor and innovation, continually developing new ways to answer the most important questions facing the media, advertising, retail and fast-moving consumer goods industries. An S&P 500 company, Nielsen has operations in over 100 countries, covering more than 90% of the world's population. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.